The Fireboat Phoenix (Fireboat #1)

The Loma Prieta Earthquake was an instant media event. On October 17, 1989, thanks to cameras overhead in the Goodyear blimp, the world watched as the Phoenix and the S.F.F.D. fought the conflagration at Beach and Divisadero Streets in the Marina. The start of the third game of the World Series flickered off the world's TV screens to be replaced, almost instantly it seemed, by graphic pictures of flames and collapsed buildings, bridges and freeways.

Fireboat Engineer Nate Hardy has vivid recollections of that evening: "I was doing some welding just outside the shop area on the pier, when the project I was working on started moving. I knew immediately what was happening, but I wasn't worried. Then everything began falling off the shelves and parts of the pier began separating, leaving a gap of probably 12 inches each time a shock wave rolled through. All of a sudden it got very quiet, and I looked up at the Bay Bridge and saw people walking around. Then I knew it was a bigger quake than I had thought it was. But, I didn't realize that already people had died. Engine 35's box came in and they left, and very shortly The Embarcadero was completely blocked. People came in to offer help. The [S.F.F.D.] radio was going nuts. I couldn't figure out why the boat hadn't gotten a box. There were broken gas mains everywhere. Then Radio called us..."

At about 6:00 PM Phoenix was called to respond to the Marina, but only Pilot Arvid Havneras, Engineer Hardy and Lt. Bob Banchera were left to man the boat. "We could see a fire in Oakland, then Richmond called to ask for our help with a big gasoline spill, and we could see a huge cloud of gray smoke over the Marina. I immediately went below to get the pumps running and then came topside to help if I could as Arvid maneuvered right in through the crowded yacht harbor. Incredibly he was able to get us in close to Divisadero St. without hitting anything despite the rapidly dropping water level. Volunteers were all over the dock; some were dressed in business suits, other in shorts and sneakers. With their help we quickly pulled out as much 3 inch hose as we could. We hooked up three lines to an engine on shore and began pumping right away. Soon we had ten lines working. We pumped continuously for 15 hours with two pumps wide open - 6400 GPM. [This was over 5.5 million gallons of water.] We had plenty of fuel, but we could have put out a call to tugs in the area to bring us some if we had run low. We have tremendous pumping capacity. We could pump water from The Embarcadero back up the hill to Twin Peaks Reservoir, if such a thing were ever needed." Let's hope that quake never comes.

The Phoenix crew received the highest praise from all sides for its outstanding work Earthquake Night. The fireboat saved the Marina.

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